Got anything to eat?' I asked.'You know where the gas station is,' said my incredibly nurturing and maternal mother.

I had this vision of the two of us holding hands or getting into some light petting behind shower curtains or up in the fencing aisle or some shit.

This bastard was in a self-help program? For what? Square-jawed, cleft-chin sufferers? Handsome Bastards Anonymous?

He seemed to be staring at the chain hanging from the ceiling fan. Seconds later, he confirmed this by reaching out and tugging the chain. Light clicked on.He tugged the chain again.Light went off.Oh for gods' sake, he had a mean case of ADD sometimes. 'Apollo,' I snapped.

I glanced over to where Seth looked like he wanted to bang his head against the wall. “Hey.”The blond continued to smile, while his friend continued to stare at me.Seth sighed again. “The one grinning like he’s crazy is Deacon, and the other one is Luke.”“We’re friends of his—of Seth’s,” Deacon threw in, and Seth did not look like they were friends.“This is Josie,” Seth continued. “Please don’t be weird and scare her.”“Be weird?” Deacon rolled those gray eyes. “Ha. Whatever, dude. All you need to know about me is that I’m like a dolphin in a sea of less-smart fish,” he announced, spreading his arms with a flourish.Luke turned to him slowly as his eyebrows inched up his forehead. “What?”He shrugged. “Just saying I have a lot in common with dolphins. They’re smart. I’m smart.”Seth rubbed his hand down his face.

Wetting one's pants is no kind of self-esteem builder.

I don't care,' said Seth. 'I would have done it. I would have sold my soul for you. You and me...I told you. Something's always going to keep us near each other...Even if we aren't together.

Left hand path magick is generally socially unacceptable.

It was an emergency!' Seth blurted. 'Read my lips - emergency reading - not some demented idea of fun. If I was starving, I would eat asparagus. If somebody held a gun to my head, I would watch a soap opera. And to save Fablehaven, I would read a book, okay, are you happy?'You had best be careful, Seth,' Grandma warned. 'The love of reading can be contagious.'I just lost my appetite,' he declared...

But I want to be near you always,' he reminded her.'But you'll lose everyone else, and...'I want forever with you.' Seth lifted her chin so he was able to look directly into her eyes. 'The rest will fall into place if I can be with you.